When the Wind Chimes - Mary Ting Page 0,6
want to help. What are sisters for?” I meant it with all my heart. I also wanted to make up for when I hadn’t been there for her. Jayden and I had been going through rough times and I had not been in a good mindset to help anyone.
Abby nodded and picked up a piece of broccoli with her fingers, but didn’t eat it. “Have you spoken to Jayden lately?”
I knew Abby had been dying to ask that question. She hated my ex. Even before he had cheated on me, she’d always said he wasn’t good enough for me.
I chewed on some cabbage and looked at Tyler, who smiled at me with curious eyes. Sometimes I didn’t know what was appropriate to say around a child his age.
“I’ll explain more in detail later, but ...” I lowered my voice. “He called me before I left for the airport today and begged me to take him back again.”
My sister’s face contorted into something wild and dangerous as she dropped the sprig of broccoli. She could probably kill someone with that expression.
“You didn’t, right? Please tell me you didn’t.”
Her volume and passion shocked me into silence. Even Tyler stopped eating, startled by the display.
“No, of course not. I learned my lesson ... twice.”
Last Christmas, I’d spent the holiday with my boyfriend. The very next day, I’d found out he’d cheated on me. He’d begged me to take him back, and I had. A big mistake on my part, because he never left the other woman.
This Christmas, I planned to do things differently. Like forget him for good—forget all men in general. I didn’t need love in my life—for now, at least. I just needed my family.
Abby lowered her shoulders, her voice softening. “Well, you shouldn’t have had to learn that lesson, and once is plenty. Maybe you’ll meet someone nice over the holiday and move here permanently.” She offered a sly but hopeful smile.
“I don’t think so. Besides, I don’t need a man to convince me to stay. It’ll be on my own terms if I decide.” I sipped my warm tea. “Anyway, when are Mom and Dad coming? I know they’re going on a cruise but I forgot the dates.”
“They’ll be here before Christmas. They plan to spend a week here and then fly back home to LA.”
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow? You don’t work on Sunday, do you?”
“No, I’ll show you around.” She waved a forkful of chicken through the air. “But I might go in for a little while to do some work.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I held up my fork as if I was giving her a thumbs up.
After dinner, while my sister did the dishes, Tyler and I played a game on Abby’s tablet. The object was to splash paint over the other player’s territory. Sometimes, on my bad days, I wished I could make that kind of mess on my canvas. But I never had the courage to cut loose. Not in life or in art.
Chapter Three — Poipu Shopping Plaza
Tyler pounced on my bed far too early and begged me to get up. After breakfast, while Abby went to work, I helped Tyler build a city with building blocks and read him several books. When my sister came back, we went to Poipu Plaza and had lunch at a quaint restaurant.
“Look at all the decorations,” Tyler said as we strolled down the plaza after lunch, bouncing at my side.
Wreaths adorned with baubles coiled around the poles. Strings of lights framed the shop windows. A tall Christmas tree was stationed in the middle of the plaza, covered with gold trimmings and oversized ornaments. The festive embellishments lifted my spirits, and for a moment all my worries were nonexistent.
“When do we get to decorate our house?” he asked.
I squeezed Tyler’s hand. “Very soon. I promise.”
Tyler, sandwiched between Abby and me, peered up at his mom. “What about the Christmas tree?”
“We’ll get one today,” Abby said.
“Yippee.” Tyler jumped and swung his legs forward, pulling on our hands for support.
Abby and I stumbled forward, and I nearly dropped the camera hiked over my shoulder. The three of us laughed as we meandered past the bakery, jewelry, and clothing shops.
“Wow. Look at the view of the ocean.” I let go of Tyler’s hand and took a step back to get the perfect angle. Releasing my lens, I aimed to get the perfect angle shot between the ice cream shop and the small market.
I took pictures of the sparkling ocean